Beach volleyball coaches from around the region were given the opportunity to upgrade their skillset during a recent FIVB Beach Volleyball Certification Course.
The five-day event culminated at the Wildey Gymnasium on Wednesday.
Chairperson of the Barbados Volleyball Commission, Anicia Wood, said the body had worked consistently over the years to strengthen the sport locally through structured programs, athlete development initiatives and participation in regional and international competitions.
Wood maintained that the development of coaches was a priority if the sport was to develop and move towards higher levels of performance.
“So we are definitely proud of the continued progress of our national program, including the recent qualification of our Under-18 boys’ team to the World Championships which will be happening in the Netherlands in July.
“These achievements obviously reflect the growing standard of beach volleyball here in Barbados and the wider Caribbean and the dedication of our athletes, our coaches and the support staff who have all contributed to this progress,” Wood added.
While the course attracted participants from Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, and the Cayman Islands, coaches from Haiti were unable to attend due to immigration issues.
President of the Barbados Volleyball Association, Kenmore Bynoe said he was extremely disappointed by their non-attendance.
“I must add a bit of disappointment here as well because we had three persons who had demonstrated great interest in coming to attend this course from Haiti.
“I cannot believe that with our leaders speaking a lot about regional integration, Caribbean unity and so forth, persons who are coming from Haiti to attend a course were denied or met so much red tape. I am hoping that a situation like that would not reoccur,” Bynoe said.
However, he admitted that the course was very beneficial to Barbados.
“Over the years we have been fighting a battle trying to keep beach players and have indoor players, but a course like this would help us to develop even more rapidly, genuine beach players.
“That has always been the fight; how do we get beach players as opposed to going and poaching the players from the indoor competitions. As you know, the coaches of the indoor competitions are very zealous in keeping their players,” he explained.
FIVB course instructor, Claudia Costa Oliviera Laciga revealed that it was her first time in the Caribbean.
FIVB Course Instructor, Claudia Costa Oliviera Laciga. (Photo Credit: Kurtis Hinds)
“I was a professional player and I really like the practical court feeling and I really look forward to how you can profit from my knowledge and from my way of coaching.
“I want to really thank the amazing support from Olympic Solidarity towards the federation and also the FIVB for really trying to bring beach volleyball everywhere and hopefully we can become one of the top sports on this planet,” she said.
President of the Barbados Olympic Association, Sandra Osbourne said the association was committed to further improving the education of coaches on the island.
“Our commitment is woven through three of our four strategic pillars and is very central to our mission. Coaching education in particular, stands as one of the most powerful investments we can make in the long-term success of our athletes and the wider sporting community
“We are therefore, always deeply grateful for the ongoing support of Olympic Solidarity, whose funding over the years has enabled the BOA to facilitate the training of hundreds of coaches across numerous disciplines and sports. It brings us immense pride to see such strong local and regional interests from what I understand is 19 coaches in beach volleyball,” Osbourne pointed out.
(KH)
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